"Time" Reseting the date on DR Domain controllers for a point in t

From: Mark J S (S_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 08/11/04 

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 13:35:03 -0700

Hi guys

My company would like to test our DR site by replicating a disaster that
happend mid week e.g. Wednesday. This would mean me restoring data as at
Wednesday during the test that will be performed at a weekend.

But the systems must believe it is in fact Wednesday. No problems for the
restore but when the apps launch they will use the system date on the
servers. So for this I must reset the date on the servers to be Wednesday for
the apps to work properly with the data that has been restored. The apps then
have to process the restore the day believing the day is Wednesday to finish
processing.

I have recently consolidated our DR W2k domain into our production W2k
domain. Our production servers are in one W2k site (and different physical
building) and our DR servers are in another site and building. I know that
the W2k servers will pick up the time from the DC's so for this to work
properly I must reset the date on the DC's.

There I hit the problem (or so I think).... I know if DC's are running on
different dates and times to each other all hell breaks loose and AD
replication fails leading to all sorts of problems.

Am I right in saying that there is no easy way to perform this test without
having to break the WAN link to the DR site and isolate the domain
controllers at the DR site?Surely doing this I have to transfer the FSMO
roles to the DR site first? I would not like to reset the date back on a DC
in a DR site and then potentially make changes to user accounts then have to
reset the date forward to normality and attempt to resync with the production
servers.

I am thinking this is far too much hassle and potentially dangerous to my
production environment.

Has any one had to do the same? Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill

Cheers all....

Relevant Pages

  • Re: "Time" Reseting the date on DR Domain controllers for a point in t
    ... All you should have to do is stop the windows time service. ... > restore but when the apps launch they will use the system date on the ... So for this I must reset the date on the servers to be Wednesday ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.active_directory)
  • Re: Setting up Test of database using backup/restore
    ... A backup and restore does not interfere with the production server at all. ... >> Passwords Between SQL Servers ... >> Issues When a Database Is Moved Between SQL Servers ...
    (microsoft.public.sqlserver.server)
  • Re: Best Way for restoring AD in a test lab
    ... Well do a backup and restore following most of the procedures outlined. ... Just do a backup on a production dc. ... > DC to the test lab with the same Server Name and this is our DR process. ... >> Master Operation roles (FSMO and the File Replication service). ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Re: Best Way for restoring AD in a test lab
    ... I promo a machine in production, back it up and demote it. ... protected space and restore it and whah lah I have a system up and running. ... "Directory Services Restore Mode (Windows 2000 domain controllers only)" ... Master Operation roles (FSMO and the File Replication service). ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Database restore, both from same and different server
    ... Production WSS is working, but a web part has a memory leak. ... production to a development server. ... I've had all kinds of problems trying to restore this ...
    (microsoft.public.sharepoint.windowsservices)